Railroads stopped using cabooses back in the early 1980s when they developed new, less costly ways to monitor a train from engine to end.
I’ve long thought I’d like to buy an old caboose, refurbish it and use it as my writing “room,” so to speak.
Only two things prevent me:
- Money. I expect it would cost about $50,000.
- My wife. She doesn’t care how much it costs; I’m not putting a caboose in the back yard. Side yard. Front yard. Back 40. Nowhere. No, it’s not happening.
Since I can’t have a caboose in real life, I’ve put one in my latest Black Orchid Chronicle, Beware the Spider.
I won’t spoil the story, but here’s a line from the book:
The brownish-orange Southern Pacific caboose carried its cupola toward the rear of the car.
Source: Gene Deimling, Gene’s P48 Blog
As you can see from the floor plan below, there’s plenty of room (in this era of tiny houses) for four or more persons.
Source: Kohs & Co. Inc., Southern Pacific Caboose Project Information
A slightly refurbished car would look like this on the inside. Notice the slightly rounded ceiling.
Source: Music from a Keyless Piano blog
See, there’s a big table to put my laptop and pictures of the wife and kids. Wouldn’t it be cool to have that as a writing studio, someplace to have your writer friends over to critique work and talk about the state of publishing today?
Apparently not, according to a voice calling from the other room.
‘Nuff said. If you want to fantasize about a caboose, pick up Beware the Spider and enjoy the adventure.
Available from all major book-selling platforms on June 3 in both digital and print editions.
Get Beware the Spider and ride the adventure.
David L. Haase 